Stooking machine



Jan. l, 1929.

N. H. CAUFlELD STOOKING MACHINE A'iled July 8, 1926 'T Sheets-Sheet l .MMM

1 l LM /INvEN'rora Jan. i, 1929. 1,697,000

N H. CAUFIELD sTooKING MACHINE Filed July 8, 192s '7 sheds-sheet 2 RE N 5 n -i w Q N o w o h Q@ o R l o O @i #la f Q Q i? k N g w w 0 s m g 1 Q@ s 0 ,N

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Jan. 1., 1929.

N. H. CAUFIELD STOOKING MACHINE Filed July 8, 1926 7 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVEN-ora. Newman. Hcau FIELD.

Jan. l, 1929.y

N. H. CAUF'IELD STOOKING MACHINE '7 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed July 8, 1926 INVEN-row,

NoMaNMcaur-IELD BY www@ Jan. 1f, 1929. 1,697,000

N. H. CAUFIELD STOOKING MACHINE Filed July 8. 192e v sheets-sneer e 'Hw INVENTon.

NORMGN. H.CGUFIELD Y l f Jan. l, 1929. 1,697,000

N. H. cAUFu-:LD

sTo'oKIG MAcHNE Filed July 8, 1926 7 Sheets-Sheet '7 INVENTOP.

NoQMaNMneUFlELU.

BY QMK@ enf-HYS.

Patented Jan. 1, 192g.

UTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

TO CAUIEIELD` STOOKER COMPANY LIMITED, OF VICTORIA, BRITISH COLUMBIA,

CANADA.

S'I'OOKING MACHINE.

Application led July 8,

This invention relates to improvements in stocking machines, and the object of the invention is to provide a stooking machine designed to transfer the sheaves from the binder to the stocker automatically, and'to form the sheaves so delivered efliciently and expeditiously into a stock and then deposit the stock on the ground in a vertical position.

A further object is to provide a stocking machine of light, durable and simple construction in which thenumber of parts is reduced to a practical minimum, and Which, in operation, will more eiiiciently perform all the functions identiiied with machines of this description. f

A. still further object is to provide a machine of this character that can be manufactured and placed on the market at a reasonable price.

. W ith the foregoing and other objects hereinafter more fully referred to in detail, and generally speaking, the machine coinprises a tiltable sheaf-receiving and shockforming and depositingbasket, normally horizontal to receive the sheaves and tiltable to form and dump the steek, in combination with an elevator for receiving the sheaves from a binder and automatically delivering them to the basket, and co-ordinating mechanisms operable on the forward movement of the machine for separately operating the elevator and the basket, and automatic means for simultaneously operating the basket and stopping the elevator, and for automatically and simultaneously stopping the operation of the basket and 17e-starting the elevator on the basket returning to normal position.

More specifically, the invention comprises, in combination with an elevator adapted to receive the sheaves from the binder and automatically deliver them, a tiltable basket supported on a moving frame in a manner capable of being loaded vvith sheaves and tilted to dump the stock, the basket being formed With pivotally mounted side plates inwardly and adjustably movable and adapted to swing from a. horizontal teapproximately a vertical position and having reciprocally operable displaceable bottom and end plates operatively connected to the side plates, mechanism for operating the elevator, and mechanism for operating the 1926. Serial No. 121,215.

basket, and means continuously operable on the forward movement of the machine for operating said mechanisms separately and so associated with them as to automatically ystart the elevator and stop the basket on the latter returning to normal vloading position.

Referring now to the drawings, in Which like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in each figure: e

Figure 1 is a plan View of the complete machine;

Figure 2 is a front elevation;

Figure 3 is arear end vievv of the machine;

Figure l is a side elevation ofthe machine With elevator shown in dotted lines;

Figure 5 is a view of the opposite side'to that shown in Figure' 4 with elevator in full lines;

Figure 6 is a plan View of the underside of the elevator and receiving table;

Figure 7 is a side elevation of the guide tracks for the elevator chain;

Figure 8 is a section on line 8-8 of Figure 6; 4

Figure 9 is a fragmentary plan view showing the track upon which the closure member operates;

Figure 10is a front elevation of the clutch driving mechanisms;

Figure 11 is a side view of Figure 10;

Figure 12 is a perspective detail ofthe cam member;

Figure 13 is a perspective detail of the upper half of the closure plate, showing the friction roller attached thereto;

Figure 14 is a perspective det-ail of the elevator sheaf-carrying arm With crank and roller;

Figure 15 is a section on line 15-15 of Figure 14. s

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, in Which an example of my improved stooking machine is illustrated, 10` designates the horizontal frame of any suitable form and here shown as substantially ll-shaped with an addition or extensiony 11 on one side, the Whole being designed to support the machine structure as hereinafter described.

This frame is provided on the side adjacent the binder with a main traction driving wheel 13, the opposite side of the frame being supported by an outside wheel 14 and the front of the machine by a pair of front castor wheels 15.

Referring first to the drive mechanism, secured to the tractor wheel 13 on the hub thereof and rotatable therewith is a sprocket 16 chain-connected by a chain 1T to a sprocket 13 rotatably mounted on a. shaft 19 in turn rotatably mounted on the traction wheel side of the frame and siuiported by a suitable bearing 2O secured to the frame 10, The sprocket 13 has secured on its inner face a clutch 21 provided with a plurality of spaced slots 22 with any of which a springactuated pivotally mounted pawl 23 is adapted to engage. This pawl is mounted on a bracket member 24 rigidly mounted on the shaft 19. The pawl 23 is designed to engage at its lower end with an arm 25 pivotally mounted at 26 on the bracket 24. This arm 25 is in turn designed to rest upon a laterally movable spring-actuated pin 2? on the front end of the frame, the pawl 23 being thereby held out of engagement with the slot-s 22 of the clutch 21. The pin 27 may be operated manually from the binder seat and any suitable mechanical means may beused, such as a link 28 and lever arm 29 to which a cable 30, as indicated in Figure 2, may be attached.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that on the machine being moved forward with the binder and the tractor wheel 13 rotating the sprocket 1G will be rotated to operate the sprocket 18 and the shaft 19, as the clutch 21 is thrown into or out of gear.

Rigidly mounted on the hub of the tractor wheel 13 in turn mounted on the stub shaft 31 is a bevelled gear 32 designed to mesh with a bevelled gear 33 keyed on a sha't 34- at right angles to the stub shaft 31, in suitable bearings 35 in the extension 11 of the frame 10. Gn this shaft 34 is a sprocket 36 connected by a chain 37 to a sprocket 38 (see Figure 2) mounted on an elevator shaft 39 supported in suitable bearings 49 on an upright portion 41 mounted on the frame 10. LThis shaft 39 is provided with sprockets 42 and 43 chain-connected by endless chains 44 and 45 to sprockets 46 and 47 0n a counter shaft 43 at the lower end of the elevator frame. Intermediate of the shafts and forming an essential feature of my elevator are spaced rods 50 on which are mounted suitably bent prongs 51. These rods, as illustrated more particularly in Figure 14, are pivotally mounted in bracket members 52 rigidly secured to the endless chains 44 and 45 andare crank-shaped each end as at 53 and provided with rollers 54 adapted to engage with a trackway 55 provided in the elevator casing or fram-e so that in operation, when the hook or the prong-carrying rods reach a certain point at the top of the elevator, they will automatically swing downwardly., discharging the sheaf into the guide plate 5G, thence into the basket hereinafter more fully described.

ln co-operation with these pivotally mounted sheaf conveyor members, l provide on the supports a bail member 5T provided with downwardly extending resilient guide members 58 in staggered relationship to the sheaf-carrying prongs to more accurately guide the sheaves when being discharged therefrom.

t will be noted that, the prong-carrying rods of the elevator travel unvardly.,

the prongs will be protruding at substan tially right angles to tie elevator frame while, as they reach the top, they will automatically swing over, giving an impetus to the sheaves being discharged.

A. rsume of the foregoing discloses that on the mechanism being moved forward and the tractor wheel 13 rotated, the gear wheel 32 meshing with the gear 33 will rotate the shaft 34 and through the chain and sprocket thereon connected with the elevator shaft 39, the pivotally mounted prong-carrying rods 50 on the elevator chains 44 and 45 will be operated to engage the sheaves delivered from the binder onto the receiving table 59 and convey them upwardly and over the apron or guide plate 56to load them into the basket. hlounted on the sprocket 36 is a spring-actuated oivetally mounted arm 60. This arm is provided with a projecting boss 51 and engaging ends 62. The boss 61 is adapted to engage and disengage the rollers G3 mounted on the clutch member G4 rigidly mounted on the shaft 34 whereby the shaft and the operating mechanism above described for the elevator is thrown inte and out of gear. The ends 62 of the arm 6G are designed to engage with a trip lug (34/ protruding from an arm G5 pivotally coni` ycted to the frame at 66 and pivotally conne ,ted to a vertical arm G7 in turn pivotally con. nected at 63 to a spring-act-ratedl` pivotallhy mounted dog 69 adapted to engage and disengage with a cam T9 mounted on the shaft 19. Adjacent the opposite end of the shaft 19 and mounted thereon is a locking cazzi 70 adapted to be engaged by the sprir. actuated arm 702 to lock the basket in operative position. From this it will be seen that in normal loaded position the arm Y25 will be resting on the s ring-actuated pin 27 retaining the pawl 23 out of engagement with the slots 22 and that the basket operating mechanism will be out et gear while the elevator operating mechanism, through the engagement of the be. 61 with the rollers 63 and the disengagement of the ends 62 with the tripping lug` 64, will be automatically in gear and in operation. Consequently, on the required.

lll

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number of sheaves vbeing delivered to the basket and the arm 29 operated, the arm willdrop, permitting the pawl or dog 23 to engage with the clutch slots 22 throwing the basket operating mechanism into gear and the elevator opera-ting mechanism out of gear by releasing the spring-held pawl 69 pern'iitting, through the vertical arm 67, the lug 64 to engage with the spring-actuated arm end 62 and thus throw the elevator mechanism out of gear. Then, as the basket mechanism tilts, the basket to form and deposit the sheaves in the li'orm of stooks, and gradually assumes its normal horizontal position, the cam 7 0, on the shaft 19 having completed one revolution, will automatically engage with the spring-actuatedV pawl 69, throwing the elevator operating mechanism into gear by disengaging the lug G11 with thek end 62 of the arm 00 throwing the basket operating mechanism out of gear by the automatic engagement of the arm 25 with the spring-actuated pin 27. An important feature in the structure of the mechanism above described is the combination of the trip arm 25 to throw the slotted clutch into operation, and with it the basket operating mechanism of the cam 70, rigidly mounted on the shaft supporting this clutch, and which, simultaneous with the throwing in of the clutch whereby the shaft is rotated, operates the trip for the elevator mechanism to throw it out of gear.

Referring new to the basket 71 which has been previously mentioned but which has not been explained, this and the mechanism for operating it comprise an extension of the shaft 19 through a suitable bearing 72 on the frame and provided on its inner end with a cam 7 3 and a crank arm 74 while on the opposite side of the frame in a bearing 75 is a stub shaft 76 with a cam 77 and crank arm 78 thereon. Connect-ing the crank arms is a transversely eX- tending shaft 79 having rigidly mounted thereon crank arms 80 and 81 at each end. 'llhe basket proper comprises side plates 82 and 83. rlhese side plates are provided on the outside with a vertically extending rib 841 adjacent one end and at the other end with a hingedly mounted rib 85, the hingedly mounted rib being connected by longitudinally extending ribs to be connected to longitudinally extending ribs 86 and 87 at the top and bottom. These ribs in turn are connected to a metal cross plate 88 pivotally mounted on a stub axle 89 in a suitable bearing 90 on the machine frame. 4This stub axle is provided with rigidly mounted bell cranks 91 which are connected through links 92 with the crank arms 81 on the shaft 79 whereby, on the shaft 79 being operated, the side plates 82 and 83 are,

through the links 92, movedto a substantially vertical position. rlt will be noted that the ribs 86 and 87 are suitably bentto extend outwardly in engagement to be se cured to the plate 93 in spaced relationship to the sides of thebasket. These ribs with a cross plate and a cross rib provide a pivotally mounted frame on which the side plates are supported. Pivotally connected as at 94 to the end of the top rib 86 to this frame is an arm 95, one of a pair, adapted to pivotally support a compressor plate 96. Pivotally secured to the pressure member are the slidably engaging pressure arms 97 provided with coil springs 98 and rigidly mountedon the sha'lft 79 through the lever arms 99.

In combination with the side plates and supported on extensions of the members 80 is a rear platek 100 adapted, in normal horizontal position of the basket, to assume a perpendicular position forming .the end of the basket. This plate 100 is formed in two sections the lower of which 101 is hin ged, as hereinafter more fully referred to. The upper portion is provided with roller members 102 on each side adapted to travel on guide or trackways 103 on each side of the fra-me. This end or rear plate is designed in operation, on the mechanism being tripped, to move from a vertical position inwardly to a slantwise position,wliileco acting with the plate 100 and 101 is the displaceable plate or basket 104i formed with a centre rib 105 therein and designed as a whole to form the bottom of the basket in normal horizontal position and,`on the basket being operated, to travel upwardly to a vertical position and then to an almost horizontal. reversed position, the mechanism for accomplishing this being a pair of arms 100 (see Figure 5) pivotally connected, one on each side, to one end of the basket 104, and a pair of arms 107 pivotally connected, one on each side of the basket 10st. lhe other ends of the arms 106 in turn are pivotally connected as at 108 to the end of the plate 88 while the arms 107 are pivotally connected at their inner ends as at109 to the ends of the lower horizontal ribs 96 of the frame carrying the side plates.

F or causing, on the basket mechanism being thrown into gear, the ends of the side plates to move inwardly simultaneous with their assuming a substantially vertical position, I rprovide slotted arms 110 pivotally mounted at 111 substantially midway of its length on each side of the frame. ln the slotted end are rollers 112 adapted to be engaged by the cam members 77, while at the opposite end of these arms are guideways in the form of elongated loops 118. These loops engage with a rounded end of the arms 1111 pivotallv mounted at 115 andr pivotally connected at 116 to a link 117 in turn pivotally connected to one of the vertical ribs on the side plates, in short 'ming the shaft 19 rotates with the cam member 70 a hinged connection for these whereby they are moved inwardly top when assuming a vertical pos whereby they automaticallj lates the i and mal horizontal position through the conu traction of this hinged convection and slidable engagement of the roiided 11d with the looped or guidewiy ends of the arms 110. rllie of th iected through justing the hinged compressiole side plates. rllhe complete 'operation of the stootte as followsz-The mach bei.,

basket will be in lthe horizontal or loading CD position as illustrated in Figures 2 and with the compressor plate 96 in a rei-tica position. lThe operating mechanism for the basket will be inoperative loe ed in this position by means of the arm resting on the spring-actuated pin Q7 taining the pawl 23 out of engageni the clutch teeth 22. At the same l cam on the operating siaft 19 basket will be in engagement with pivotally mounted and spring-actuated pawl 69 on the frame which, in turn, is cornected through the rod 67 witl'i the arm 05 carrying the lug 611 holding it out of engagement with the springectuatcd arm (S2 pivotally mounted on the sprocket 30 on the elevator drive shaft 84, thus holding` the latter in gear causing, loosely mounted on the forward movement of the machine with the binder, the elevator to operate to receive the sheaves from the binder and deliver them into the basket. @n a sui'iicient number of sheaves to forni stook being delivered in this manner to the basket, the driver of the machine operates the control lever 29 by pulling it or moving it in any well known manner. This action causes the spring-actuated pin 27 to move inwardly permitting the pivotally mounted arm to drop and automatically causing the pawl Q53 to engage with the clutch teeth throwing the shaft 19 and the basket operL ti mechanisni connected therewith into opt lation.

Simultaneously and automatically with this the cam 70 disengages through the rotation of the shaft 19 with the springheld pivotally mounted pawl 69, thereby engaging the member 64 with the arm G2 and 'throwing the elevator' operating mechanism out of gear, causing the elevator to stop. is

thereon and while it is performing one revolution until the, pawl 69 again engages with the cam 70 and the arm 2o again rests upon the pin 27, the pivotally mounted sides of the basket are operated from a normal horizontal loading position to a substantially vertical position and simultaneously therewith the bottom plate 104C and the end plate 100 are moved from a substantially horizontal and vertical position respectively to an inverted horizontal position and an inwardly slantwise position respectively, as illustrated in `Figure 5, when the stook is deposited. Then, as the rotation of the shaft 19 continues the bottom plate gradually recedes to resume its normal horizontal position as such, the side plates at the same time returning head pwards to normal vertical position, by which time the shaft 19 operating the combined rcam and crank shaft 79 in tu ni operating the basket have completed a single revolution automatically, engaging the arm 25 with the pin 27 to throw the pawl 21 out of engagement with the clutch 23 and, at the same time, automatically locking the mechanism 70 by means of the cam engaging with the spring-held arm 702. Simultaneously with the automatic engagement of the arm 25, throwing the basket operating mechanism out of gear, the cam 70 automatically engages with the pawl 09 to throw the elevator mechanism, as previously described, into gear and start the elevator.

Concurrently. with the operation of the plates forming the basket, as above described, the compressor member or plate 96 pivotally connected to the sides of the basket moves from vertical loading position downwardly between the sides, as they assume a vertical position, to compress the sheaves and then, on the stook being delivered moves back to normal position with the other elements of the basket. This plate, as previously described, is spring-held to the crank shaft 7 9.

lt should further be noted that the end plate 100 is provided with a hinged lower section to more elfeetively form a slanting` discharge base for the stook as it is being deposited. This end plate is also provided with runners to more elliciently support it in its travel and designed to engage with tracks on each side of the frame and thus provide more effective support for the assembled sheaves forming the stook.

The crank shaft 79 and the cranks integral fith the stub axles forming the pivotal mountingfor the side plates of the basket pivotally and link connected to one an` other vhile the bottom plate is pivotally connected to the side plates and to the stub axle cranks, and the end plate is also pivotally connected to the side plates, this con- Mii nection imparting a reciprocatory movement to these plates simultaneously with the tiltable movement of the side plates.

It is also observed that with the rotation of the shaft i9 and the crank shaft 79, when thrown into gear, the cams on the latter engage with rollers 112 causing the pivotally mounted links 11() to move to automatically compress the top ends of the side plates as they assume a vertical position by means of the hinged side arms 114C slidably engaging with said links and, as the basket returns to normal position, the links assume the same as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

lVhat l claim as my invention is:

l. ln a stocking machine and in combina: tion, a tiltable, sheaf receiving, stook forming and depositing basket, an elevator inoperable While the basket is being tilted and operable when the basket is inoperable, mechanism associated with the basket for simultaneously compressing the sheaves and discharging the basket, mechanism associated with the elevator for delivering sheaves from the binder to said basket, a common drive, and a single control for simultaneously throwing one of the mechanisms out of operation and the other mechanism simultaneously and automatically into operation, and mechanism associated with the aforementioned mechanisms or simultaneously and automatically throwing one of them out of operation and the other into operation and retaining the one thrown out of operation in an inoperative position until operated by the control. Y

2. A stooking machine as claimed in claim l in which a manual control is provided for simultaneously operating the basket and stopping the elevator, and means associated with the control for automatically and simultaneously stopping the operation of the basket and re-starting the elevator on the basket returning to normal position.

3. The invention according to claim 1 in which vthe tiltable, sheaf receiving, stook forming and depositing basket comprises pivotally mounted adjustable compressible sides adapted to swing from a normal substantially horizontal loading position to a substantially vertical unloading position, pivotally supported bottom and end plates separate from and operatively connected to said sides, a compressing plate adapted to each shaft, a plurality of brackets, cross rods swing between the sides, means for simultaneously swinging andv compressing the sides and reciprocally operating the bottom and end plates, means associated with the compressing plate for# simultaneously Vand. reciprocally operating such' platek with the operation-of the sides, bottom and ends, and spring actuated means for said plates,` a swingingly mounted buck plate adapted in normal horizontal position to form an end for the basket and to swing inwardly beneath the basket on the latter assuming a vertical unloading` position, rollers on said plate and trackway means on said plate for said rollers.

4l. The invention according to claim l characterized by the fact that the elevator for delivering sheaves to the basket from the binder comprises a casing, a main drive, a rotatably mounted shaft extending through the casing, kchain and sprocket means connecting the main drive with said shaft, a second shaft rotatably mounted in the casing, sprockets and endless conveyor chains on crankdiormed at each end pivotally supported in said brackets, trackways in the casing at each end adapted to engage with said rods whereby in operation the rods travel with the chains at substantially right angles thereto and on reaching a predetermined point at the top of the elevator swing downwardly to discharge the sheaves, a receiving table and a guide plate at opposite ends of the elevator.

5. The invention according to claim l characterized by the fact that the sheaf receiving stook forming and depositing basket is provided with spring retained bell crank levers associated therewithy and operatively connected to the operating mechanism.

6. The invention according to claim 1 characterized by the fact that a longitudinally extending lip or partition is associated with the bottom of the basket for retaining the sheaves in alignment thereon.

7. The invention according to claim l in which the drive mechanism comprises bevel gears associated with the tractor wheels on the opposite side to the basketv drive.

8. ylhe invention according to claim l characterized by the fact that the mechanism for throwing the elevator out of operation when the basket is forming and depositing the stook and automatically into operation again when the basket returns to normal sheaf receiving position includes a clutch formed with a plurality of spaced slots, a bracket supported pivotally mounted spring actuated pawl adapted to engage with said slots, a shaft rigidly associated with the pawl, a second bracket and an arm pivotally mounted thereon engaging with the pawl, a laterally movable spring actuated pin for the arm adapted to hold the pawl out of engagement With the clutch member and manually operable means for operating said pin.

9. In a stooling machine a sheaf receiving stook forming and depositing basket com- 5 piising in combination a pivotally mounted frame, sides hingedly connected to said frame, a bottom plate pivotally connected to the sides, an end plate operatively connected to said sides, a spring actuated compressing plate adapted to swing between the sides, a swingingly mounted buck plate, and spring retained bell crank levers pivotally assoeiated With the basket.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand,

NORMAN HOWARD CAUFIELD. 

